The unspoken Rule (9 page)

And she made sense. I was truly touched by her thoughtfulness.

"Laura, if you had told me, I-"

"It's my fault. You're right. I shouldn't stop you from enjoying yourself. Living life. You two do make a cute couple. Go back to dating him." She ordered me.

"Thank you." I told her, glad that I had her permission. I gave her a quick hug, then left to find Jake.

Maria's POV

And so I ran. I sprinted knowing that we could be together. I pumped my legs through the hallways searching for him. I ran for him.

Where was he?

I chose a hallway that would most likely be deserted. I was about to keep running, but I pulled up short. Jake was there.

I watched in horror behind a large potted plant as Jake made out with Cynthia.

No! My heart screamed in betrayal. How could he do this to me? How could he?

He hadn't changed at all! He was the same playboy going around and kissing random girls. Did he not know how close our relationship was to toppling over?

No, of course he didn't. Because he was Jake Miller. And he was notorious for being this way.

Why didn't I listen to my intuition the last time he kissed Cynthia? I had told myself I wanted
nothing
to do with him. Absolutely nothing. And I would follow my gut. Jake wouldn't be part of my memories anymore.

I tried to blink back the tears. But I couldn't. He had caused me to cry more than funerals, he was so awful.

I felt awful standing there, watching. Seeing the one you loved kiss the one you hate.

They were pressed up against each other, Cynthia running her hands through his hair. He had his arms wrapped around her tiny waist, definitely not protesting against the kissing.

And so I sat next to the plant, shrouded in leaves, and sobbed.

Jake's POV

I had been upset. Torn, depressed, and lonely.

Frustrated too, that I couldn't have Maria. After all the secrecy, it had turned out we weren't meant to be. After all that.

Cynthia had came up to me, noticing how distraught I was. And so she kissed me. I didn't resent it, I sure didn't. When we kissed, I kissed with only some effort. I really didn't care for it. Maria was much better than Cynthia.

In truth, I wanted Cynthia's kiss to be Maria's forbidden kiss. Like a stress reliever. I wanted to release my feelings and toss them into the air.

That's why we made out in an empty hallway. I didn't want anyone to see us,
especially
Maria. We had our rough spots and if she saw us, it would ruin our chances of getting back together.

I
loved
Maria. More than anything or anyone else in the world. I didn't want to hurt her, or mess with her heart anymore. She didn't deserve that.

But I did feel a little better after kissing Cynthia.

I released her, pulling back and staring into her sparkly azure eyes. She gave me a dazzling smile.

"I always knew we were meant to be, Jake." She murmured, leaning in close.

A small sound. I wasn't even sure if I really did hear it.

"Hold that thought," I told her.

I listened carefully again. Where were the sounds coming from?

I glanced at the end of the hallway, and saw a flash of brown hair. Who was that?

I ran off, trying to catch the person. I didn't want them to spread gossip about Cynthia and I. It would just add more to the drama. And plus, I
really
didn't want Maria to find out.

And so I jogged after them. The person pressed on, through the throng of students in the lunchroom.

"Hey!"

"Watch where you're going!"

The teens cried as I hurried past them rudely. The person jumped in the lunch line. There was no way I'd be able to find them in there. It was too crowded, too packed.

Frustrated, I searched the cafeteria, hoping I had misjudged where the person went. I saw no one running, no one looking suspicious. All looked normal.

Now they were going to spread news about Cynthia and I, and it would catch like wildfire. And it would have the same effects. It would destroy my chances with Maria, for sure.

There'd be no amount of apologies that would make Maria feel better. Or forgive me. And I didn't blame her.

But I had been so glum, so angry that I couldn't have her! She was the one for me! And I knew it, too! As in the one who I might marry. Start a family with. Go through life with. Get old with.

And now the person was gone.

I went home that day, feeling like my emotions were on a rampage. My blood was boiling and I couldn't think straight.

I sat on the couch and flipped on the TV, hoping it would take my mind away from things. And it did for a while.

Laura came into my view, blocking the TV.

"You're in my way." I told her.

She put her hands on her hips, not budging.

"You're an absolute jerk, you know that?" She yelled, her voice booming.

"What?"

"What did you do to her?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, not knowing what she was talking about.

"Maria was going to tell you that I approved of you two dating, but I caught her in the bathroom crying."

Why would Maria be crying?

Laura resumed. "She kept going on about your kisses, and how you hadn't really changed at all. And how you apparently had moved on from her."

No. I shook my head, wanting it to not be true.

Maria had found out about Cynthia and I.

The small noises...

The flash of brown hair...

The running person...

It must've been Maria.

Maria's POV

I went home that day, my face streamed with tears. I dropped my things at the front door and went into my room, hoping to calm myself down.

It didn't help.

I walked to my dresser, where there was a picture of Jake and I. We were in my back yard, his arm around my waist, fireflies lighting up the night. We were both smiling, clearly enjoying each other's company. I turned the frame face down, not wanting to see it.

All memories of him were going to be blocked from my mind. All remnants of him, erased. Thoughts, evaporated. Pictures, gone. He would simply be no more.

If someone asked me if I knew Jake Miller, I'd say, "Jake Miller? Who's that?"

For he would no longer be a part of my life, that was for sure.

He really hadn't changed at all. He used girls, just to get that rush. The feeling of power over females. And it sickened me that I had been easily played by him. The warnings were all there, I had just refused to acknowledge them.

So if he apologized, I sure as heck wouldn't forgive him. Not for all the money, peace, or love in the world.

Not for anything.

Jake's POV

I took a shaky breath.

I was probably wiped from Maria's life now. She had seen me in a time of desperation. Need. And in that time of weakness, I had resulted in hurting Maria in the process. She had seen me kiss my ex-girlfriend. An ex-girlfriend who was so shallow, I couldn't believe I had gone out with her in the first place.

Cynthia didn't deserve my love.

But Maria did. My good love. My I-love-you-with-all-my-heart, kinda love. Not that fake stuff where I dumped girls like yesterday's trash. No. The kind of love where I vowed to keep them safe, and content.

So I felt so bad sitting there, taking in the news, it felt like earlier remarks to Cynthia didn't even happen. I felt horrible. Awful. Disgusting. I felt sickened by my actions!

How could I have sunken to that
low
of a level?

What kind of person
was
I?

Obviously someone who liked to mess with people's hearts.

And so I would apologize, no matter how much good it did. If it ruined us even more, so be it. I just had to apologize so I knew that I tried.

And so I drove over to Maria's.

I knocked on her front door, her mother answering the door. She smiled at me kindly.

"I need to speak with Maria."

"Yes, she's in her room."

I nodded my thanks and ascended the stairs. Her room was right at the top, the first door. I stood before it, my heart thumping. My fist fell upon the door, earning a knocking sound.

No response.

I glanced at the floor, wondering if I should still enter. Would that make her hate me even more? I was the last person she wanted to see right now.

I swallowed my fears and pushed the barrier open.

She was standing by her dresser, weeping soundlessly.

"Maria," I whispered, still standing by the door.

She turned her head away icily.

"I'm sorry, Maria. You don't know how sorry I am. I'm sorry you saw Cynthia and me. I really didn't want you to find out. It was a time of weakness and desperation. I know you probably won't forgive me, but I had to try. I don't want to lose you Maria; I'm in love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm sorry."

I looked at the back of her head, wondering what was going through her mind.

She spoke, but not what I thought she would've said: "Who do you think you are?"

"A monster," I answered honestly, "A monster."

She slowly walked to her window, her back to me. She opened the blinds, and peaked through.

"I don't forgive you."

Her voice was weak, broken. She looked and sounded torn up, defeated. As if she was tired of all this drama. And she had told me she wanted no more of this crap, and I promised it wouldn't be like that. But, my promise was broken. Like her heart.

I nodded my head, and slunk out of her room, missing the hopeful glance she gave me.

Maria's POV